


I Want To Be Your Canary

by Nagisa



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Final Fantasy IX AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 19:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21258809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nagisa/pseuds/Nagisa
Summary: Set in the world of Final Fantasy IX. To prevent a war between the neighboring kingdoms of Lindblum and Alexandria, Prince Yuri agrees to a royal marriage until a reunion with an old acquaintance stirs up forgotten feelings.





	I Want To Be Your Canary

**Author's Note:**

> Please see the lovely art that accompanies my story! https://icetiiger.tumblr.com/post/188731154396/i-participated-in-this-years-otayuri-minibang-and

The cold was biting. Of course, that wasn't surprising. The ice crystals used to keep the lake frozen didn't discriminate. They were placed in strategic areas around the water, hidden within the tall ever-green trees and brush of the forest for aesthetic reasons, creating light drifts of snow that softly landed, flake by exquisite flake upon the Prince of Lindblum's head as he skated. All he would have to do was step just a few paces away from the circle of trees to warm up in the late Summer sun, but Yuri was content to stay just where he was, the muted quiet of the area amplifying the scrape of the blades attached to his dark boots against the ice in a way he had fallen deeply in love with long ago. Without a care to weigh down his heart, the young blond danced across the ice, short locks flying. The light, layered fabrics of his fine clothes, dark red jacket, and black puffy shorts and tights, fluttered in the wind beneath a short black cape that billowed as he moved. He even began to hum a quiet tune, eyes closed as he spun. Though the snow swirled around him and the lake was a firm and near-flawless sheet of ice, the cold couldn't touch him. Yuri skated in a bubble of pure joy, alone in his perfect ice world where no one could disturb him and he didn't have to think about any of the troubles that he'd recently found almost unavoidable.

There had been almost twenty years since the last war between Lindblum and its neighbor on the Mist Continent, Alexandria. The existence of Lindblum's South Gate suppressing trade and traffic had been grating on Alexandria, who wanted easy access to the kingdom's technological advances, and before the war ended, a large portion of it had been destroyed so thoroughly that a large crater was carved into the ground where it stood. Soon after, Lindblum agreed to free trade with Alexandria, opting to reconstruct the dangerously crumbling border walls in some places, the rest of the border patrolled, but open. The gate itself was completely demolished, and the crater filled in to become a beautiful lake, with a thick forest of trees grown around it.  
Although they managed to avoid complete bankruptcy, Lindblum's royal family was now in dire straits, depleting much of its own personal wealth to aid in the city's reconstruction, helping its people get back on their feet, and trying to maintain its military system to keep the people safe. 

Twenty years had passed since the agreement, and Lindblum had happily kept up their end of the deal and allowed Alexandria access to all of its current and past technology. What Alexandria had not anticipated, however, was that Lindblum could and would continue to advance, and had short-sightedly neglected to demand access to future industrial breakthroughs.  
Upon discovering Lindblum's new toys, Alexandria wanted in, offering a new proposal: a full alliance, including the financial aid Lindblum sorely needed, or another war that could destroy them utterly.

None of this was secret to the prince, the only child of the Lindblum royal family. He would need to know all of his country's history and all of its current events. His parents even tried to encourage him to take part in the decisions the king frequently had to make. He had to be prepared for when it was his turn, after all. Hopefully, such a day would not come too soon, but hope rarely stopped tragedy from occurring. It was with the knowledge of Alexandria's new threat in his head that Yuri had taken to the ice today, the terms that he was supposed to be considering weighing him down until he'd fully circled the lake twice, which was when everything finally began to melt away, and he was left with nothing but the serene happiness that always enveloped him when he skated. 

Almost always. Sometimes, it was interrupted. 

"Good afternoon, your highness!" A far too cheerful voice rang out from across the lake. Yuri's face fell into a grumpy scowl, but he otherwise tried to pretend he hadn't heard a thing, his feet constantly in motion, though within a smaller area of the lake now. He would simply not go anywhere toward the side of the lake that was closer to the Alexandria border, and in that way, he could remain in his bubble, he figured. He always figured that. He was always wrong.

Though the lake was technically public, the royal family had had it all to themselves since Yuri was born, as the townspeople were encouraged to give the family privacy when they were there. Over time, they simply stopped bothering to visit the lake at all, finding other avenues of entertainment in places where they were sure they wouldn't be politely shooed away by guards just when the fun was getting good. The border was quite a trip from the castle itself, requiring Yuri to make a trip to the very lowest level of the castle, then travel through a series of tunnels via gargant to reach the forest, but the tranquil seclusion was worth it. Except for times like now.

Despite the lake being Lindblum's, because of its location, and to strengthen the peace, Lindblum extended an open invitation to Alexandria's royal family to use the lake any time they wished. And at the moment, the invitation was being accepted by Alexandria's eldest prince, Jean.

Jean was tall and dark-haired, with twinkling blue eyes and an easy, charming smile. Almost every citizen of Alexandria was completely taken with him, but once he crossed over into Lindblum, he was met only with the cold, ignoring silence of Lindblum's prince, who was currently trying to stay as far away from him as possible. Despite not receiving any response to his greeting, Jean continued to fasten his skates onto his feet, then stepped onto the ice properly, pulling his dark blue cloak tightly around his shoulders. Often, just his usual royal outfit of a blue and white jacket and black pants would be fine, the activity of skating more than enough to keep him warm, but today seemed especially chilly. Extra crystals? he wondered, looking around, though he could never see them. It didn't really matter, and with a shrug and another glance toward Yuri's back, he started a lazy glide around the ice. Yuri wasn't the only one with a lot on his mind, and Jean found it much more difficult to push his cares away as his current company had managed to. He was happy to see Yuri there, but the other's presence just made it harder for him to forget his worries, complicating his thoughts further despite the light smile he retained as he moved across the lake almost carefully dancing around the other prince's space. Things would have been much easier if he'd been able to be alone. Or at least if Yuri would talk to him. 

"Stop it!" A sharp voice suddenly broke through Jean's thoughts, and he immediately put on his most innocent look, almost by reflex, calling back, "Excuse me?"  
He was pretty sure he knew to what the command referred, but he tilted his head, tightening the circles he skated in until he was close enough to not have to shout.  
Yuri still wasn't looking at Jean, but he had stopped moving since there was no way to do the avoidance dance anymore. His back still turned, he looked up, not even trying to keep the annoyance from his voice as he demanded, "What are you doing here?"  
Of course, Yuri knew that Jean had every right to use the lake as he pleased, but it was quite large. Almost large enough for him to admit that it could be shared very comfortably. There was no reason Jean had to keep skating so close to him, and finally, he couldn't keep silent. He had way too much to think about that he was trying very hard not to think about, and he had been succeeding until now. The little prince was livid.

The answer, though it was honest and without a hint of teasing, only made things worse, as Jean stopped skating and simply stood nearby. "I've been trying to talk to you," he said.  
"I don't care," Yuri snapped, still refusing to turn around. He didn't care if it was rude. Jean was used to it by now, anyway. They had known each other since they were children, after all. "I don't have anything to talk to you about."  
"You do. We can't ignore this forever, and you know that," Jean started, his smile finally fading completely. This wasn't exactly where he'd meant to start this most serious conversation, but it was where they most often met, and it was where they were now, completely alone and private. "They're still in talks; we can still accept," he continued, gliding just a bit to the side, starting to tire of speaking to the back of the blond's head.  
Yuri stayed where he stood instead of trying to turn away and shifted his eyes sideways to regard his company, frowning deeply. Somewhere deep inside he admitted that Jean had a point and that it was a very important conversation that needed to happen sooner or later, but those sentiments just couldn't find a way to crawl to the outside.  
"Just... leave me alone. You do whatever you want and leave me out of it! I'm already sick of you and all your stupid, stupid words!" Jean reached out a hand to grasp a dark red covered arm, but Yuri was already speeding off the ice, heading for the edge of the lake where he'd left his things. He knew they did have to talk about everything that had pushed onto them lately, but did it have to be now? He already spent days upon days thinking about it. Why did it have to be spoken of on the one day he was finally able to banish all idea of it from his mind for a little while? No, he was done, sitting on the ground in silence as he ripped the skates free to swap out for his boots as quickly as possible. It didn't really matter how fast he moved, though. Jean took the hint and backed away, leaving it for when Yuri was more open to talking. Perhaps that day would never come, but he had faith that it would. Yuri was quick to anger, and often a little irrational when he was upset, but once he calmed, he would realize what was best and act on it, however reluctant. Although Jean had only meant to take advantage of the fact that they were both at the lake to start the talk, he wasn't quite ready for it either. He'd only come to try and clear his head as well, really, so he understood, and let the other prince be as the blond scrambled to change shoes, and soon after disappeared through the trees to travel back to Lindblum Grand Castle. 

Yuri trudged through the forest until he came to the guards blocking the entrance to the tunnel, parting them with only a scowling glance. They were already on the move upon seeing him approach, but the look had them pulling back fast enough they left scorch marks on the ground. He ignored their low bows as he passed, and headed into the passageway to call the gargant to carry him home in its fine gold basket. At least there he could sulk in peace.

For days after his meeting with Jean, Yuri moped around the castle, staying out of his parents' way when he could manage. What they asked him was for the good of the kingdom, and he knew that. They would never have asked if there was a better solution, and he knew that too. But the very idea made him so angry. When it came to Lindblum, Yuri did feel a great responsibility toward the care of the kingdom and its people. He may have acted like a child at times, but he certainly wasn't one, and he was quite serious about learning all of the things he would need to know when it was his time to rule. This proposal, however, truly tested him. 

"I'm not even ready for marriage," he had complained when it was first proposed. Knowing that the statement was true, his parents could only give him comforting, but firm, looks, silently pleading with him to consider it for the sake of the kingdom. No, there actually was no choice at all. Alexandria knew that when they presented the terms, and Yuri knew that every time he tried to turn the proposition over in his mind, attempting to find some new angle that could get him out of it. And every time, his ire simply grew, each moment spent mulling it over just fanning the flames.

As the outer edge of the frosty region around the lake came into view, Yuri could already feel himself relaxing, though this time he knew he couldn't tune out the thoughts. Despite keeping his mind working on such a distasteful set of ideas, he still felt lighter and lighter as he walked through the trees, hearing the snow crunch under his feet. He may have even started floating, if not for the sudden appearance of a body flying across the ice at the opposite side. Crashing back down, he squinted and glared. Could he really not escape for one day!? Was Jean just hiding amongst the trees and waiting for him now? Yes, they both shared the hobby and love of the area, but this seemed too suspicious for a coincidence.  
Yuri didn't even bother to put on his skates before stalking off across the ice, ready to share a piece of his mind. "I told you to leave me alone! Get out of here! I don't care what my parents said, this is my lake!"  
It didn't matter that as he approached, the difference became more and more clear. This figure was quite a bit shorter than the Alexandrian prince. His hair a little more disheveled, despite the similar style. His clothes were quite a bit shabbier, a grey wool tunic and heavily patched pants in the same color, a dark brown cloak tossed over it all to shield from the cold. Yuri should have noticed all of this, but he was so blinded by his rage that he missed it all right up until he was close enough to be caught as he started to slip in his hurry.

"What was that?" the stranger asked as he tried to help steady the prince he had so easily grabbed as his shoes had finally betrayed him. Yuri blinked, so caught up in his rant that he couldn't think of anything else to say, even as he found himself in this person's arms, trying to comprehend what was happening. Who was this? Why was he here? The townspeople never came here anymore, he was sure. Was he... new? 

Soon enough, his mind caught up, and he pulled himself free with an irritated scowl, nearly falling again, though this time the look successfully dissuaded the man from trying to assist him once more. "Who are you?" he asked as he straightened up, his voice carrying all the venom of ten thousand snakes. He was really getting into that rant. If he couldn't be alone, at least he could've gotten a few things off his chest, and now even that was ruined.

"I'm Otabek. It's a pleasure to see you, your highness," the stranger said, offering a bow after he spoke. Yuri appreciated the balance required to produce the action on skates, not that it changed his expression very much. "I didn't expect you to visit today, sorry. It's a big lake, though," Otabek suggested casually. He knew of the unspoken rule, naturally. Everyone did. But he'd been lucky so far. He hoped his luck would hold out even now.  
Yuri said nothing, his fury rapidly cooling. He was already feeling more at ease; perhaps it was the nonchalant tone the other took with him, where he would have expected an annoying scramble to get out of view as quickly as possible. Without a word, he turned to attempt to return to where he'd dropped his things, but without that wrath guiding his feet, the ice seemed more slippery than it had been on the way over. Before he could fall, Otabek was there again, catching hold of his arm with a firm grasp, silently skating as Yuri wordlessly accepted his assistance to the bank of the lake.  
That stupid Jean would have made some ridiculous comment, he thought, grinding his teeth together as he could just hear "careful there, princess" in his head in that voice. It didn't linger long, thankfully. Driving it away was the view of Otabek returning to his skating as Yuri sat on the ground to change his footwear, only able to pull his gaze away for extremely brief moments as necessary. Otabek skated beautifully. The way the commoner moved entranced the little prince, who found himself having to retie his skates twice, due to his inability to pay attention to the task. So quickly he went from angry that he would have to share his ice to eager to step out and meet the stranger in dance. 

For days upon days after that first meeting, Yuri would always find time to creep out of the castle and meet Otabek to skate. Sometimes they spoke lightly in passing. Sometimes they said nothing at all, leaving it all on the ice. Just thinking about Otabek was enough to shove everything else on Yuri's mind into a small, dark corner to be dealt with later. Being in his presence completely melted it all away until it never existed in the first place. Eventually, Yuri could think of nothing but meeting Otabek, dreaming about it at night, counting down the minutes left in his lessons during the day until he could leave, his heart growing light enough to carry him to the lake like a hot air balloon. Otabek's, however, only grew heavier. His days were much, much happier when he got to see Yuri, but he realized he kept hoping for something that never came to pass, and the disappointment was piling up.  
Never one to beat around the bush, Otabek waited near the trees where Yuri usually emerged, not wasting any words upon seeing him. "Do you really not remember me?"

The words seemed to even silence the crunching snow beneath Yuri's shoes. The prince looked up in surprise, stopping just a little bit away from Otabek, wondering what that could have meant. Before he could ask, however, Otabek continued.  
"We used to skate here all the time. I only even learned because you did it so well. You made it look amazing, and I wanted to try. You don't remember?" His voice was calm and low, but his eyes betrayed the hurt he still wasn't sure he should've felt. It had been years, after all, and Yuri was a couple of years younger. The Prince of Lindblum definitely had more things going on in his head than most people could have imagined. Yuri struggled for a moment, actually doing his best to dig up the memory. His heart and mind were filled with Otabek from morning to night and he couldn't imagine ever forgetting even a second spent with the older boy. But try as he might, he came up blank, with a slightly apologetic look on his face. 

The look didn't last long, however, and the prince straightened up, eyes locked on Otabek's as he demanded, "Take me to your house."  
There should have been questions, concerns, indignation at being suddenly ordered, upset at the conversation being so quickly tossed aside, but Otabek could only feel his heart pounding within his chest as Yuri's clear green eyes that seemed tinged with fear captivated him.  
"It's a pretty far walk." But he started it anyway, immediately leading the way around the lake. If Yuri needed to go, Otabek would take him away with no hesitation.

Yuri thought he was prepared to see where Otabek lived but, to Otabek's amusement, as they approached the small house on the outskirts of Dali, Yuri couldn't help peering around as if he expected more.

"Sorry, there's no castle, your highness," Otabek joked dryly as he opened the door. The home was cozy, much like the others in the village, with only a couple of rooms connected to one big main room with a kitchen alcove. Within the main room was a large hearth, in front of which suddenly sat Yuri, his bag, jacket and shoes strewn on the floor in a trail leading there. The prince stared into the fire, low as it was due to the season, silent as Otabek shrugged and picked up his things and carried them away. He had been driven this entire way purely on adrenaline, but now as it sunk in that he had actually run away he was lost and worried that he had done the wrong thing.

"Otabek?" Yuri called a little while later as Otabek put together a tray of tea and cookies, which he carried with him as he joined Yuri in front of the fire. Glancing over to answer wordlessly, he then set about making the tea, waiting for Yuri to continue.  
"I'm sorry I don't remember you," was where the blond started, watching the movement on the tray. His voice was quiet, laced with regret. "I wish I did. It's weird thinking about not knowing you. I only even came here because..." Trailing off, Yuri peered toward the fire again, brows furrowed. He wasn't happy with the situation and thinking about it along with the confusion of working out how he felt about Otabek just made him want to throw things. Sadly, all he had handy here was the tea, and he kind of wanted to drink that. So he just scowled, taking a deep breath to keep talking in a normal voice. "My parents want me to get married," he started, barely looking up as he explained everything to Otabek. "I thought I could do it, but they want it done now and I... I can't! Not now." Through gritted teeth, Yuri finished his story, then angrily drank his tea in one long gulp, bitter enough to ignore its high temperature.

"Why not now?" Otabek was barely fazed. He had seen Yuri in bad moods before, though lately they seemed to dissipate before he could inquire. And then they skated, and the blond appeared so happy he didn't want to dare bring back the gloom. But now he felt free to query, sipping his tea more carefully. He wanted to comfort Yuri, but he wasn't sure how and the guilt creeping in as he listened didn't make things any better. Despite wanting nothing more than to help Yuri, Otabek realized he was doing nothing of the sort, a frown settling on his face.  
Even while wallowing, Yuri couldn't miss the expression his friend made, finding in it an excellent opportunity to deflect the question with one of his own. "What's wrong with you? I'll just stay here and everything's fine. Why would I go to Alexandria? I'm not that stupid. No one will be looking here," he added, hoping that would cheer Otabek up. Of course, it didn't, and Otabek only rose to go and bring in bedding from the other room, spreading it on the floor. "You can take my bed," he nodded toward the room, where Yuri went to settle in for the night. 

Over the next few days, Otabek found himself quite busy teaching Yuri how to live like regular townspeople did, though he wasn't allowed to leave the house. Even in a small village in Alexandria, there was a chance he would be spotted and recognized. But it didn't matter. Yuri didn't care that his world was reduced to a small set of rooms and that he had to wash his own dishes every other day. Somehow he was happier than he would have ever expected, and the Lindblum Grand Castle with all its problems grew smaller and smaller every time Otabek walked in the door to greet him. He felt as though he could really live out the rest of his days there. Even the shame of leaving his parents to deal with everything only stung a little, a tiny pinch that was so easy to ignore as he watched Otabek prepare cups of cocoa to drink as they spent another evening by the hearth. Sometimes they talked, mostly about Yuri and his previous life. Sometimes they simply sat and read, Yuri resting his head upon Otabek's shoulder whether they chose to share the same book or not that night.  
It was a weight Otabek was going to miss, but as the days went on, he knew he would have to.

Tonight he set the tray and blanket out, settling with his back against a soft chair as Yuri came to lean against him with a sigh. It had to be tonight, or he would never be able to let go.  
"Yuri," Otabek started, quickly losing his breath as he found those green eyes locked onto his, curious and wide, and just so, so close. "You can't stay here." Straightforward and to the point as he ever was, Otabek had to make extra effort today. These were words he never wanted to say. Yuri was taken aback, sitting upright with a hurt and confused air about him, but Otabek forced himself to continue before he lost his nerve.  
"You know things are not getting better for Lindblum and you have to do what you can for your kingdom. I wish I could help you... I can't. Even if I hadn't screwed up and was still a noble, I'm not part of the royal family-"  
It was a gasp from the prince that stopped Otabek's words, as Yuri finally remembered. The day he met Otabek at the lake. He had never spent much time with the older boy, but had always looked forward to seeing him there. And then on the day Yuri finally decided to demand the boy skate with him, he hadn't shown up. Yuri was told that the boy had done something unforgivable and been removed from the family.

"I missed you!" Yuri blurted out, already forgetting the previous words that were slowly ossifying his heart. When Otabek only blinked in surprise, he went on. "You left! I wanted to skate with you so bad... I thought about you for so long, but you were just gone!" 

Yuri's angry look intensified Otabek's surprised one. "I didn't have a choice," he tried to explain.

"I don't care! You didn't think about anyone but yourself!?" 

"I didn't. But you never noticed me anyway. Why does it matter?"

Yuri seemed to cool off in a second, melting into a pool on the blanket. Never noticed? "I noticed... I'm glad you came back to me."  
Irritation disappearing like steam, the original conversation returned, and he sighed. "But now that you have, how can you send me away...?"

If only he had been able to continue, Otabek would have found it much easier to say what he needed. The courage drained away with each of Yuri's words until it dwindled into nothing and took his speech with it. "I can't," he conceded, closing his eyes. "I don't want to. I want to keep you. Forever."  
Also not what he wanted to say, Otabek kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see how badly he'd exacerbated the mess he was making. Either it would give Yuri a reason to leave and go back to his duty or-

-he would abruptly find a weight upon his chest, and then Yuri's lips pressed firmly against his own. The weight shifted, and he had a pair of arms around his neck, the kiss only becoming more insistent the longer it took him to process that it was happening. Returning the kiss, Otabek slipped his arms around Yuri's waist, holding him close, all conviction in convincing the prince to leave completely gone, the sound of his heart drowning out all else. 

Unfortunately, the knocking at the door continued. Yuri heard it first, though he found it easy to ignore until he felt the need to breathe and had to pull himself away. It was then that Otabek caught the sound through the fuzz that had taken over his brain, quickly sobering up as he realized there was no reason for anyone to visit him this late.  
"Yuri, hide!" he whispered harshly, but it was too late. As the blond clambered to his feet, the door burst open, several members of Alexandria's City Guard piling into the room with swords drawn. With a shout of "We've found him!", everything that happened next was a blur, a flurry of clanging armor and more shouting as they grabbed the pair and dragged them from the home. 

"Let me go, you idiot!" Yuri screeched as he tried to wriggle free. Noticing that they had also taken Otabek sped up his wriggling, panic overcoming him. He was going home, he knew. But if they were to blame Otabek for his presence, there was no telling how harsh the punishment would be.  
"He didn't do anything! I made him bring me here! I commanded it!" He was wiry, but the guards' grips were strong. They easily ignored his words and movements and soon the prince was on an airship headed back to Lindblum Grand Castle.

Days passed, not that Yuri noticed. What time he didn't spend destroying his room was spent pleading with his parents to help Otabek. As far as Yuri had heard, there had been a continent-wide hunt for him since the day he went missing. News went out upon his retrieval that an Alexandrian villager had kidnapped him, likely to sabotage the union of the two kingdoms. To prove that Alexandria would not tolerate its citizens committing crimes against Lindblum, Otabek was to be executed sometime within the week. This left Yuri distraught, but the wedding that was being planned in his absence was still set to be held, and he was ignored in favor of both families being too busy worrying about it. 

Hoping to curry favor with his parents, Yuri did all that they asked, letting them drag him to fittings and rehearsals, taking every moment in between to make his case over and over. Although the Alexandrian royal family was present for some of his arguments, neither seemed as if they would budge. It didn't matter that Yuri knew Otabek was innocent. The common citizens could never know that their prince intended to abandon them. They had to believe the story, and in that case, the criminal had to be penalized. Both Lindblum and Alexandria's families agreed, but Jean couldn't disregard his fiance's entreaties. Every rehearsal, every meeting, he heard petition after petition. He could see the anguish in Yuri's eyes grow as the days counted down.  
Finally, he could take no more.

"I won't do it." The words rang out loud, cutting through a silence that momentarily filled in during a planning meeting between the two families. Jean looked abashed, but cleared his throat and continued.  
"I can't marry Yuri. I can't force him into a life of misery. We have to find another way." All attention toward Jean, his mother spoke up to remind him that this was the only way toward unity. With a respectful nod, he then shook his head. Jean had been thinking. He had been researching and working through nights. The Alexandrian prince even had a somewhat proud expression as he proposed the plan he'd come up with.  
"We know that Yuri left on his own accord." Murmurs began to rumble, but he shushed them with a hand. "It wouldn't be so scandalous if he was simply meeting with someone else to find a better solution to our problem, would it?" Again the mumbling rolled, but he just continued. "Otabek. He was part of a noble family until he had the misfortune of wanting to become a musician. There is no reason he should no longer count among the nobility. Not if we let him join our ranks," he said, an eyebrow raised toward his parents. Yuri immediately caught on, a gasp echoing in the silence as a tear rolled down his cheek. But he had been begging for days; he dared not speak now. Especially not when the King and Queen of Alexandria actually seemed to be considering their son's words.

Time stopped as Yuri watched the family, Jean's annoyingly smug face that he seriously wanted to punch and kiss right now, the king and queen quietly conferring amongst each other. He couldn't even tell if he was still breathing until suddenly everything fell into focus again with one small, slight nod.

"A lost cousin," the queen proclaimed. "We hadn't recognized him before, and as soon as we did, we released him immediately!" She glanced at Jean, who was becoming quite insufferable with his clear self-satisfaction. As he was obviously pleased with the outcome, she felt free to go on. "As a member of the royal family, we could permit a union between Yuri and Otabek to fulfill the terms of our agreement."

The message decreed, Yuri could only stand in shock as things moved around him in a whirlwind. His parents' relief, Jean's aggravating smirks toward him, the guards being dispatched to have Otabek released and transported, the room was a hurricane with him at the eye. Yuri couldn't believe what was happening. 

The Prince of Lindblum was in a dream, the bubble maintaining its hold until the airship landed in front of him and Otabek stepped out. Their eyes focused on one another until the last step was cleared, and then Yuri grinned.  
Otabek was still a little shaken from his imprisonment, but the terms of his release filled him with a joy that effortlessly overshadowed any lingering pains.  
Unable to hold back a smile, Otabek took hold of Yuri's hands, pulling him close.

"It appears I'm getting married."

"Appears so."

"Then I keep you forever."

"Damn right."


End file.
